1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low profile socket for electrically connecting a CPU to a printed circuit board.
2. The Prior Art
Zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets are used to connect a CPU to a printed circuit board for years. Normally, this socket needs a relatively long pitch for adopting a lead-in distance of each contact which allows a corresponding CPU pin to be inserted into the socket with substantially zero insertion force first ly a nd then moved by a cover of the socket for this lead-in distance to abut against contacting portion of the contact in the socket. These sockets may be referred to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,057,031, 5,489,217 and 5,730,615. For effectively utilizing the space of the socket and lowering the profile thereof the inventor of the present invention has proposed a low profile socket in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/146,998 which arranges the moving direction of the cover of the socket in a diagonal line and the normal actuation mechanism including the cam and the lever being omitted for space conservation. Although this configuration works well, the complication of its structure will increase manufacturing cost. It is requisite to provide a simplified structure which can function as well as the socket of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/146,998 and achieve cost-down requirement.